THE NETWORK
JUST FOR U!
CONTENTS…
1. Eviction Blockade: All out today—2:30pm @ 1091 Hyde Park Avenue (btwn Arlington + West Sts.) (5/16—2:30PM)
2. BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS FY’12 BUDGET HEARING SCHEDULE (April 25 - June 28)
3. CITY OF BOSTON FY’12 BUDGET HEARING SCHEDULE (April 15 – June 29)
4. Hawthorne Youth Community Center Garden Party (5/21—2:00-5:00pm)
DETAILS BELOW…
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1. Eviction Blockade: All out today—2:30pm @ 1091 Hyde Park Avenue (btwn Arlington + West Sts.) (5/16—2:30PM)
Hello all.
For anyone planning to attend the auction protest (Monday 5/16/11)
at 1091 Hyde Park Ave. (between Arlington & West St.
The auction is at 3 pm. But try to arrive at 2:30 pm.
Call City Life first to make sure it's still on
(this has been frequently postponed when our protest nears)
Steve
Press Release
350-400 protest Wall St. Banks in Copley Sq.
More protests tomorrow (Monday, 3 pm, 1091 Hyde Park Ave.)
The growing (8-city) Bank Tenant movement showed its strength yesterday, May 14, as 350-400 people staged a lively protest in Copley Sq., across the street from a Bank of America branch.
At 9:45 the delegations started arriving. As each City arrived by train or bus, they marched behind their banner to join the crowd while chanting. With each arrival, cheers grew louder.
At about 11 am, a delegation of 10 crossed the street to present a “sentence” to the B of A branch manager – that the Bank must do principal reduction and stop post-foreclosure evictions. When prevented from entering the bank, protesters already inside the bank started chanting and singing. When they were ushered out by police chants grew even stronger.
Speakers at the rally focused on the issue of principal reduction. Speaker after speaker described their unsuccessful efforts to get loan modifications from B of A, explaining that their loans are “underwater” (property value much less than loan value). Each noted that only principal reduction can make the loan modification process work.
One speaker, Dale Jarvis, had gotten a permanent loan modification from Bank of America, but B of A attached a balloon payment of over $400,000 at the end of the loan; the Jarvis’s will never have any equity. Another speaker, Paula Taylor, described the fraudulent activity that led up to her foreclosure, followed by an eviction in September, 2008 (where City Life members were arrested); Bank of America later sold her property for 60% of loan value, a price she easily could have afforded.
Speakers from all cities noted that Bank of America and other Wall St. banks could avoid the costs of foreclosure and get a share of equity appreciation by doing a loan modification with principal reduction. In other words, even the bank would be better off financially. Nevertheless, the same Wall St. banks that ran the economy into the ground, got bailed out, pay huge CEO salaries, and don’t pay federal taxes now want to punish homeowners for defaulting.
Other speakers at the rally included Rich Rogers, Ex. Sec. of the Greater Boston Labor Council and Felix Arroyo, city councilor who is proposing that continuing no fault evictions be a factor in whether the City puts money in a given bank. Also visiting the rally was a giant puppet representing Bank of America that roamed the crowd and nearby streets.
Sovereign Bank and Carmelo Pierre
Are giant international banks really consciously seeking to punish homeowners. Carmelo Pierre spoke about his case with Sovereign Bank (owned by giant international Santander). Boston Community Capital approved Carmelo and his family for a new mortgage. BCC offered to buy his property at 1091 Hyde Park Ave. on short sale. The sale and the price were approved by Sovereign, but Sovereign attached a condition that after BCC’s purchase, BCC could not resell to the Pierre family!
“This condition is clearly not a concern about money,” stated Steve Meacham, an organizer with City Life. “It’s about punishing the owner as a warning to others.”
City Life will organize a big protest at the planned auction of the Pierre home at 1091 Hyde Park Ave. tomorrow, Monday, at 3 pm. This will be the fifth auction protest at this site in the last six months.
For more information, contact City Life at 617-524-3541. Melonie Griffiths x315 – cell: 857-203-2580
Steve Meacham x310 – cell: 617-909-6182; Dominic Desiata cell: 857-203-2393
Pictures and video of the May 14 protest available on request.
Delegations at the rally arrived from City Life’s Bank Tenant Association (Boston based), City Life’s Northside Bank Tenant Assoc. (E. Boston, Revere), Chelsea Collaborative, Lynn United for Change, Merrimack Valley Project, Worcester Anti-Foreclosure Team, Springfield No One Leaves, and Providence’s Direct Action for Rights and Equality.
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2. BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS FY’12 BUDGET HEARING SCHEDULE (April 25 - June 28)
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3. CITY OF BOSTON FY’12 BUDGET HEARING SCHEDULE (April 15 – June 29)
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4. Hawthorne Youth Community Center Garden Party (5/21—2:00-5:00pm)
HYCC Garden Party
38th Anniversary Celebration
Hosted by Robert Patton-Spruill & Patti Moreno
at the Historic Henry Hampton House
88 Lambert Avenue, Roxbury, MA 02119
2-5 P.M. Saturday, May 21, 2011
(Rain Date Sunday, May 22, 2011)
Featuring
Appetizer Desserts Dry Cash Bar
Jazz Silent Auction Door Prize
Donation: $20.00 in advance
$25.00 at the door
Ticket Order:
HYCC Garden Party
Please Reserve ___ ticket(s) at $20.00 each for:
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Please make your check/money order payable to Hawthorne Youth and Community Center.
Mail or drop at 9 Fulda Street, Roxbury, MA 02119-1408.
Tickets will be held at the door.